2 christmases - too much?

[Freedom2016]

I am british but live where christmas is celebrated on the 24th dec. Mil, fil and bil are all invited to come to ours so I'm happy to do continental christmas on 24th dec and let inlaws introduce toddler dd to all their traditions. However as I am hosting and it is first time DD will be aware I was thinking of doing following on 25th

-Stockings for everyone from Father Christmas as a surprise in the morning - main presents on 24th (I would supply DH with stocking and ideas list for me)

• simple Christmas dinner with minimal trimmings (so stuffing balls and pigs in blankets but not multiple sauces or starter or more than 3 veg) and trifle and xmas pudding

-Christmas decorations -Christmas Crackers -in laws love singing but previoulsy we've struggled to have everyone join in so I was going to print off some carols which work in both languages

• The snowman for dd to watch with grandparents
• a couple of games like Tabu for the adults

Is this too much? Anything else I can do to make 25th special for me and everyone else?

I don't think that sounds too much at all.

I'm in a similar situation, living abroad, DH's culture celebrate on the 24th too.
I've gone home for a few of the Christmases we've been together, and the two I've been around for we've celebrated on the 24th his way, with all our friends from his country, and on the 25th I've done a 'British' Christmas, with ALL the trimmings won't be doing that again
This year will be our first in our new home, and with DS, who'll only be 8 months, but I'm absolutely planning on doing exactly what you have described. I'd be really upset if I didn't get a proper Christmas!

How lovely pocketful hope you enjoy your first Christmas with your little family. Thanks for the reply.

Not too much at all.

My BIL and his culture is to celebrate the 24th.

When we have been to theirs for Christmas Mt DSis has done similar to what you are suggesting.

It worked really well.

It's a great idea to give it a try, and see how you cope with running it all. If it's too much then maybe go with the suggestion of alternating years for the 24th and 25th, or perhaps the Turkey dinner on the evening of the 24th, and then just nibbles and cold cuts on the 25th after a nice breakfast and present opening?

We have the same scenario, so we've tried it all.

Actually a lot of my german friends love the British christmas timings, but then last year I saw a few of my British friends eating their turkey dinner on the 24th so that they could just spend the whole of the 25th relaxing and playing with the kids.

Pick, choose and mutate to make it yours!!!

I think it's trial an error in this kind of situation, it takes time to work out perfection! We live in the U.K. So we have Lithuanian Christmas on 24th and we do family presents then (both sides of the family) then British Christmas on 25th and it's Santa presents and stockings then.

Thanks Freedom

In fact, I had planned on hoping DH would do me a stocking, as I've done on every year for him, and left it for him if I've been in the UK. I'm going to steal your idea of leaving him a stocking and ideas for me. I feel he may need as much help as possible!

We eat our british turkey dinner on christmas eve as danish ILs do. This year there will be a christmas eve box with pjs, cookies and a snowman dvd. Then we will have stockings in the morning, then tree presents.

I find cooking for the evening much less stressful.

Yes there is that red but the inlaws need their main hot meal at lunchtime and they are 76 and 82 so I will be serving then - will have to pre- prep to shove in oven as they like to have lunch at 11:45. I pushed them to 1pm once and they looked really distressed.

Thanks everyone for sharing how you do things - its very helpful

Youre right though red evening meals are way less stressful

Growing up in Germany, and dealing with two families it went like this. But I need to add that from a food point of view the 'main event's happens on the 25th.
24: normal (hot) lunch, then switch to Christmas mode, maybe go to church in the afternoon, and give presets and stuff in the late afternoon and a posh evening meal (not hot, but with smoked fish and salads etc)
25th get up play with toys. Have traditional Christmas lunch with all the trimmings, then in the afternoon go to other grandparents and do presents all over again.

Of course that loses the 'Morning' aspect of the British tradition but I think what you propose would work well and definitelyt help with your timing constraints for cooking lunch

BTW we do it always according to where we are these days, but never have the issue of hosting two sets of GPs